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Unread 10/15/2018, 03:42 PM   #26
pisanoal
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Originally Posted by reefmutt View Post
Looks good! You may want to get some snails in there to clean up the brown before it becomes some raging algea mess.
Thanks! I'm liking the real estate this tank has so far.

Yeah, I have a few in there, mostly some tiny ceriths and a conch. I do have an urchin in there and one more in the sump i meant to toss in before I left but didn't... It will probably be a mess when i get back but it is what it is.

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Unread 10/23/2018, 02:08 PM   #27
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Been a couple weeks and everything is moving along quite nicely so far. Surprisingly, my sps look fantastic, most are still showing signs of growth despite the upset.

I got the life reef skimmer installed and its skimming like a champ! Ive never owned a "good" skimmer before, so I'm excited to see how this thing performs and how my tank reacts.

Picture is 36 hours of skimmate. A littlw wetter then i like, but its pretty dark stuff.

Tapatalk pictures post weird so I'll post tank pics separately.

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Unread 10/23/2018, 02:17 PM   #28
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As i was promised by reefmutt , when i got back from my trip, the algae had taken off. I thought i was dealing with hair algae, and i cant find a lot of my cuc in my sump... So i ordered a bunch of snails and such that should be here tomorrow. I found out yesterday after getting a good close look at the algae structure that its mostly if not all bryopsis.

I had it pretty bad in my last setup which I also thought was HA, but I scrubbed the rocks down one day, and i think there was enough coraline cover that it just didnt come back.

Ordered some Fluconazole and will be dosing that mid week. Any tips on that would be appreciated. Ive read through a good amount of material and feel comfortable, but personal experiences are always helpful.

Overall though, sps are showing good PE, and colors are steadily improving.

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Unread 10/23/2018, 02:24 PM   #29
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I havent talked much about fish so far, but i have picked up 3 new fish since the start of the tank.

One was a male Blue Throat Trigger (hoping he may learn to pick at the vermetids, but if not thats fine too), that just went into the display after a long quarantine experience of trying to get him to eat. He went through a full 3 weeks without eating anything. I bought him from an LFS that he had been at for 2 months. He ate PE mysis right in front of me but hadn't eaten it since...

I feed a variety of san Francisco Bay frozen foods from petsmart normally, and he didnt touch any of those, bought some mysis, borrowed some PE mysis, no luck. Ordered about $80 of various frozen foods including brine shrimp, different blends of Rods, squid chunks, krill, etc... I also tried garlic which i don't normally do. He showed a lot of interest but would spit everything right back out.

Finally ordered some live brine which he gobbled up and worked him onto frozen brine. Yesterday he started eating some squid which is good because even with feasting on selcon soaked brine, he was still looking thin.

Ill post pics of him next time i can get some good ones.

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Unread 10/23/2018, 02:30 PM   #30
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My original plan was to not add too many new, bigger fish, but have since decided to try multiple tangs. The hope is to have enough that any aggression is spread out amongst them. We will see how Annyeong does with them.

I bought a sailfin and a naso tang from live aquaria. They came in today and are in qt.

After qt, i will divide my sump with them in one section and annyeong in the other and let them see each other for a week or so. Then they will all go into the display at the same time.

Future plans may include a trio of yellows, and a bristletooth.

Im a little nervous about how the clown tang will do as he gets bigger, but time will tell.

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Unread 10/23/2018, 07:05 PM   #31
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Here is the blue throat trigger. Second pic is bad but shows tail colors a little better I think.

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Unread 10/24/2018, 06:29 PM   #32
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Nice fish!
Nice algea.
Fluconazole works like a dream. May take up to a week but it is pretty effective.
I added it to my tank last Friday and my bryopsis is only just starting the shrivel. I did, however leave my skimmer going- on a much reduced setting but it still has been skimming some super dry foam.. I hope I didn’t remove the fluco before it took full effect..
It can make nutrients jump pretty dramatically when it has taken over a tank and then begins to die off- you could have carbon and gfo and fresh saltwater at the ready..
it certainly is satisfying when it melts away!


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Unread 10/25/2018, 05:24 AM   #33
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Hi Tony,

Before you use the Fluco you may want to put some of that algae where you're keeping the tangs. I had a macro algae that had those type of fronds and I thought it was byropsis.

I tested it on my desjardini tang & he devoured it..............he is housed in my frag tank.
The algae was in my display, so I bought a yellow tang another Zebrasoma species, and he cleaned it all up. The tank is spotless now.

When the algae is that long it will be harder for the tangs to eat it, so maybe clip it a bit shorter to test. Their mouths are made for scraping more so that biting off fronds. What I like about Zebrasomas is that their pointed snouts can get into crevices and tighter spots.


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Unread 10/25/2018, 09:29 AM   #34
pisanoal
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Quote:
Originally Posted by reefmutt View Post
Nice fish!
Nice algea.
Fluconazole works like a dream. May take up to a week but it is pretty effective.
I added it to my tank last Friday and my bryopsis is only just starting the shrivel. I did, however leave my skimmer going- on a much reduced setting but it still has been skimming some super dry foam.. I hope I didn’t remove the fluco before it took full effect..
It can make nutrients jump pretty dramatically when it has taken over a tank and then begins to die off- you could have carbon and gfo and fresh saltwater at the ready..
it certainly is satisfying when it melts away!
Thanks! I'm really liking them so far. The two tangs eat while i'm doing their water changes which is really encouraging coming off the super shy blue throat experience.

I appreciate your input on the fluconazole. I have read where some people leave their skimmer running as normal and the fluc. still worked, so I wouldn't worry too much that you are skimming it out. If I end up dosing it, I plan to turn the water level way down, but leave on as well.

I also think I will take a small piece of RO tubing and try to siphon the decaying bits out as it starts to disintegrate. I know it looks like it has taken over, but its not a very thick mat yet, just lots of individual fronds, so hopefully not too much to worry about in the nutrients area. I plan on having a couple hundred gallons of new salt water made up and ready as well.

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Hi Tony,

Before you use the Fluco you may want to put some of that algae where you're keeping the tangs. I had a macro algae that had those type of fronds and I thought it was byropsis.

I tested it on my desjardini tang & he devoured it..............he is housed in my frag tank.
The algae was in my display, so I bought a yellow tang another Zebrasoma species, and he cleaned it all up. The tank is spotless now.

When the algae is that long it will be harder for the tangs to eat it, so maybe clip it a bit shorter to test. Their mouths are made for scraping more so that biting off fronds. What I like about Zebrasomas is that their pointed snouts can get into crevices and tighter spots.
Hey Big E,

I appreciate the response, thanks for posting on my thread! I don't know if you remember, but I bought a few frags from you 6-8 months ago (I think? time flies...), so its highly possible that it's the same strain that you had/have in your tank. So with that advice, I will definitely try to see if my new tangs will eat it. I'm pretty confident the clown tang won't, since I had some before in the old setup and he didn't seem to bother it much. The only issue I have with the suggestion is logistical. I don't really have any small rocks that I can throw in the quarantine tank with the tangs. They are all foamed/epoxied together. So I plan on tossing one my of my powerheads that has it in there and see if they show any interest. So far, they have only eaten Mysis and no interest in nori.

The other logistical issue is they are about 3 weeks or so from going in the main system and probably 4 from the display. So I guess if they do eat it, maybe ill just manually remove it to keep it from overwhelming my coral until I can get them in?

Do you have concerns about running the fluc? Or just advocating for natural removal?

By the way, all your frags are doing really well in my tank thus far, which is rare. The only thing that hasn't done much but encrust is the red devil nasuta, but its showing some positive signs since the move, so I'm excited for that.


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Unread 10/25/2018, 07:07 PM   #35
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Good call on the zebromosa. That powerhead was covered in inch long fronds an hour before that photo.
Thanks for the tip!
Now just to wait out the algae until he can go in. It also seems the turbos are going for it, so they will help some.

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Unread 10/26/2018, 04:47 AM   #36
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Quote:
Good call on the zebromosa. That powerhead was covered in inch long fronds an hour before that photo.
Thanks for the tip! Now just to wait out the algae until he can go in. It also seems the turbos are going for it, so they will help some.
That's great to hear! I didn't have it bad like you, just on my overflow in a few spots but it was driving me nuts.

Quote:
Do you have concerns about running the fluc? Or just advocating for natural removal?
If you for sure have bryopsis, no, but I think many people mis-diagnose bryopis when it can be one of thousands of macro algae that show up in tanks. There are many algae that have fronds like in your picture.

I haven't used Fluco but a friend had used it with success when he had bryopsis.
-----------------------

Of course I remember you.......I've been subscribed to your thread for a while. I'm glad everything is doing well. Be patient with the Red Devil it'll get going. I started with a 1/4" bleached square on a plug and grew it into a colony.


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Unread 10/26/2018, 10:08 AM   #37
pisanoal
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Quote:
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If you for sure have bryopsis, no, but I think many people mis-diagnose bryopis when it can be one of thousands of macro algae that show up in tanks. There are many algae that have fronds like in your picture.

I haven't used Fluco but a friend had used it with success when he had bryopsis.
-----------------------

Of course I remember you.......I've been subscribed to your thread for a while. I'm glad everything is doing well. Be patient with the Red Devil it'll get going. I started with a 1/4" bleached square on a plug and grew it into a colony.
Yeah, I started looking around at some threads and it looked like the consensus was if it had horizontal fibers it was some form of bryopsis. I'm glad I did the test first though. I plan to scrub some of it off tonight where it is encroaching on my frags. I'm not horribly worried about it, especially since I plan on having multiple yellow tangs and that sailfin. Seemed like the naso was picking at it some too, just not as aggressively.

Thanks for following my thread. I'll definitely appreciate any input you have along the way. Your success has been an inspiration, among others I follow on here (reefmutt as well - love your tank). I turn to your thread for a lot of information and guidance.

I'm not worried about the red devil. It has shown great health since I've had it, and continues to encrust. I know it will get there eventually and I look forward to when it does.


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Unread 10/26/2018, 02:28 PM   #38
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Since everything is doing so well (minus the algae), I figured I'd test everything and get a good baseline. I also ordered an ATI ICP test for baseline data.

Interesting results though.

Salinity - 1.029!!
Alkalinity - 6.7
Calcium - 460
Magnesium - 1500
Nitrate - 5 - 10ppm (closer to 5)
Phosphate - .031

I was surprised to see my salinity so high, but not too much. I found out my refactometer was out of calibration a few days ago, so I ordered a new one. The calibration screw was corroded and stuck from dipping it in the water (i know, bad practice that i don't do anymore). Tested with the new, freshly calibrated one and got the 1.029. Retested with the standard and got the same. I do plan on adjusting that slowly by removing about a gallon of water a day and letting the top off fill it. Should be a pretty slow change.

Alkalinity was a little low, so I bumped up my reactor feed. I have had some issues with my CO2 feed (needle valve plugs) so I figured this would be low with the growth I've had.

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Unread 10/27/2018, 03:46 PM   #39
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Good call on the zebromosa. That powerhead was covered in inch long fronds an hour before that photo.
Thanks for the tip!
Now just to wait out the algae until he can go in. It also seems the turbos are going for it, so they will help some.

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Can’t be bryopsis then..
they will be happy fish when they go in.


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Unread 10/29/2018, 10:52 AM   #40
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Yep agreed. Definitely not bryopsis since they are eating it.
There are other characteristics that seem different as well.

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Unread 11/07/2018, 12:39 PM   #41
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Well i guess it's about time for an update. Some good news and some bad.

I lost my Naso Tang in QT that was quickly becoming my favorite fish due to her awesome outgoing personality. This fish almost never hid, and on the last transfer was trying to eat some stirred up food pieces as i was catching her. Unfortunately, the heater failed and stuck on. I should have noticed because she seemed very subdued the next morning after the transfer. I found her dead that afternoon. I was scratching my head as to what could have happened to such a healthy fish so fast. When i went to move the sailfin, which thankfully was still doing ok, i checked temps between the two tanks and found the first to be at 87 degrees, the heater stuck on. It likely got warmer than that during the day. The QT system is in my garage where temps fluctuate a decent amount with outdoor temps. Its insulated so stays temperate enough, but a few degrees could have made the difference here.

Anyways, that behind me, the sailfin made it to the display and is looking comfy. The only fish that didnt appreciate her presence is my one-
eyed genicanthus angel. She stares her down with her good eye from time to time. It's pretty comical actually.

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Unread 11/08/2018, 10:36 AM   #42
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The tank is looking decent. My bryopsis-like algae is steadily subsiding, amd the exposed rock left behing is staying remarkably clean. This concerns me that the nutrients in my water column are too low and I'm worried my sps will suffer if they stay too long like that. I havent checked no3 and po4 in a couple weeks, since i put the new skimmer on actually, so that is about due.

I do have quite a bit of cyano on the sandbed again, so I'm hoping to add a bit more flow and see if I can take care of it that way.

I also saw a Hawaiian Naso Tang on divers den for a really good price, so I picked her up and she is in QT. Much more shy then the last one, but she is eating and getting more comfortable. I really like the patterning on the Central Pacific vs Indonesian variety. I have a bad pic (of course you wouldn't expect anything else on this thread!) of her in QT, and a few tank shots.






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Unread 11/14/2018, 09:19 AM   #43
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Quick update. Not a whole lot to report. I finally fixed my issues with CaRX co2 feed, so my alk is slowly climbing. I tested last night and I was at 7.0. I'm going to target 7.5 and stop there.

My sailfin is doing a wonderful job on my algae and there are only a few big patches left along with the sheet along the back wall. At least it's beimg removed from the rocks which is really all I care about for now.

My cyano is still present and unchanged. I plan on trying some DIY coral snow to see if i can keep my vermetids from spreading onto the new rocks, and to try and clear my water up. I always have some particulate floating around.

I finally programmed my lights for the new system. I run the 6 t5s for 6 hours, and the leds for about 12. I have some very dim lighting for an additional few hours in the morning and evening just for viewing.

Here's a couple FTS to show algae progress. This is under my dim morning lighting which tends to wash out some colors on the corals.

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Unread 11/27/2018, 06:17 AM   #44
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Been a while on the update front. The tank has been doing pretty well. Since the last update I have added the Naso Tang and the Clown Tang back to the DT. The clown seems to be doing great so far with just some minor chasing of the Naso.

On a largely positive note, the tangs have done their job and decimated the algae. There is still some on the back on the back wall that the clowns are trying to protect as their home, but that is slowly getting chipped away at as well. The coraline growth on the new rocks is starting to pick up, which means the rocks dont look so new anymore.

Im still struggling with slightly pale and or brownish color on a lot of corals. I made a mistake in my last post with test levels on my phosphate. It was actually .003 (2ppb Hannah ulr).

I tested again yesterday and I was at...
SG 1.027
Alk 7.9. Been raising this. I'm going to stop around here
No3 5
PO4 .05 (17ppb)

I liked these results a lot better so hopefully I can keep them stable.

Ive got a few more fish in QT, a trio of blue dartfish, and an orange spot blenny. Ive been reading reefmutt's very informative thread (only on page 54) and loved seeing his. Its a cool fish.

Also added a few new frags, an orange passion, what i think might be a pikachu that has coloring up to do, and an unknown looks purple with green polyps, similar to bonsai, but i think it still has to color up. Looks more reddish then purple. Pics to come in next post.


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Unread 11/27/2018, 06:19 AM   #45
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Still some cyano... But seems to be getting better.

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Unread 11/27/2018, 06:20 AM   #46
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if you can put a glass or acrylic between the water and the t5. otherwise, you reflectors will get water spots over time, and that will cause your lighting output to drop.


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Unread 11/27/2018, 10:12 AM   #47
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Thumbs down

Quote:
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if you can put a glass or acrylic between the water and the t5. otherwise, you reflectors will get water spots over time, and that will cause your lighting output to drop.
Its actually not that bad. I don't have a lot of salt spray. I clean the bulbs and reflectors every couple of months. I used this setup for a couple years on my 125, but they where higher with more surface agitation. I am planning on doing something like what you recommended though since they are closer to the water.

Thanks for the recommendation


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Unread 11/30/2018, 01:46 PM   #48
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So a couple of weeks back I sent a water sample in to ATI as a baseline. Results came back today so I figured id post a screenshot of the summary. Everything looks really good for the most part. Looks like I'll be dosing Iodide for sure, but not sure if I should go after the rest and what I should use. I thought about maybe AF Micro E, but it doesn't have everything I need. I may just go with the ATI elements, but hopefully ill get some feedback from you all.


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Unread 11/30/2018, 03:22 PM   #49
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Corals look like they are happy! I have been using a old jug of Kent tech iodine I believe it's called. It's supposed to be time released and have both kinds you need. I haven't tested to see if it's working yet. Figured I would use it since it's here.

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Unread 12/01/2018, 07:52 AM   #50
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Thanks for the recommendation!

I'll look into that for Iodide dosing.

Acros for the most part seem pretty happy/healthy. Colors on a lot are still pretty pale or brown. We will see what trace dosing and keeping my nutrients around 5 and .05 does.

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